BibliographyVan Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Summary
Jumanji is the story of two children, Peter and Judy, who find themselves bored on an afternoon while their parents are away at the opera. Having exhausted all their toys inside, the children go outside to play and find a mysterious board game underneath a tree. Taking the game home, the children discover that whatever happens in the game becomes real. The only way to finish the game is for one of the children to get to the end of the board and yell “Jumanji”. After a lion attack, a monsoon, and monkeys invading their home, the Judy finally wins the game, which sets everything back to the way that it was.
Impressions
The book’s illustrations are amazingly beautiful, drawn by renowned children’s book artist Chris Van Allsburg. The illustrations enhance the story so wonderfully; the book would not be the same without them. The story is very well written, telling the story completely with rich and full vocabulary.
Reviews
“Without pictures, this would be a fairly orthodox horror story for kids: a jungle board game, found in the park with ominous instructions, produces at each square the children land on whatever wild creature (""Lion attacks, move back two spaces"") or natural disaster (""Monsoon season begins, lose one turn"") is called for--until, beset, the two youngsters are throwing the dice wildly to reach the last square (""Jumanji, a city of golden buildings and towers"") and free themselves of the jungle terror. This episode, however, is framed, in a conventional picture-book made, by their departing parents' injunction to ""keep the house neat"" and the parents' return, with guests, after the game is over and all is calm. A second sly jest provides the obligatory twist at the end: a guest's two children are returning from the park, discarded game in hand. What makes the pictures themselves problematic is: l) the heavy load of portent present from the start (as in Van Allsburg's earlier The Garden of-Abdul Gasazi), which robs the book of a contrast between the normal, everyday and the macabre; 2) Van Allsburg's freeze-dry surrealism, which renders the turbulence as a static charade, or tableau; and 3) the paradox that imagined horror is more skin-prickling than horror seen--with a child's mouth agape. Van Allsburg's artistic skill seems largely confined to the devising of special effects--these largely dependent, in turn, on oversize close-ups and dramatic angles. Once their shock-value wears off, these are boring pictures--with no feel in particular (down to the inappropriately babyish toys) for a child's world.”
Kirkus Reviews. (1981). Jumanji – written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. 04/01/1981
“When Judy and Peter find a board game in the park, they take it home, hoping to alleviate their boredom. One live lion, an erupting volcano, and a dozen destructive monkeys later, the children are no longer bored. Their jungle adventure game has come to life! Chris Van Allsburg is a master at walking the line between fantasy and reality. His unusually sculptured drawings (familiar to the many devoted fans of the Caldecott-winning The Polar Express and The Garden of Abdul Gasazi) convey the magical transition of a normal house to an exotic jungle. Readers will tremble along with Judy and Peter, urging them to roll the dice that will plunge them from one perilous predicament into another. Jumanji, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and winner of the 1982 Caldecott Medal, is sure to amaze and thrill even the most jaded young reader. (Ages 9 to 12)”
Jumanji. (2010). Amazon.com Editorial Reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Jumanji-Chris-Van-Allsburg/dp/0395304482/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265583398&sr=8-2
Library Use
As with many Caldecott books, the illustrations in Jumanji serve as a great addition to the text. I could easily see this as a good read-aloud book to help children expand their vocabulary (like the word “monsoon”) using the illustrations to help them understand within context.
Bibliography Wisniewski, D. (1996). Golem. New York: Clarion Books.
Summary
Golem takes place in the city of Prague, wherein the Jewish community is in a moment of crisis. Lies are being spread that the Jews of the city are stealing children to use their blood in their matzoh, their unleavened bread. Confined to the ghetto, the Jews were unable to defend themselves against the onslaught of false accusations. Rabbi Loew received a message in a dream of fire and destruction that told him that in order to save his Jewish community, he would need to construct a golem. Loew and his helpers snuck out from the city at night to the clay banks of a nearby river in which they constructed the golem. The golem was given the task of defending the Jewish community at night and serving the Jewish community during the day. The golem, named Joseph, served the Jewish community faithfully, even through a riot, where he single handedly defeated hundreds who had come to hurt the Jews. Because the golem had completed his task, he was returned to the earth, but is promised to rise again whenever the Jews are in need.
Impression
The sharp dimensions of the illustrations, along with the illustrations having no outline, gives the artwork a very real feel. The illustrations rise up from the pages to give the reader an enhanced sense of perspective. The story is rich, and printed flawlessly into integration with the illustrations. The story is put together so well that the illustrations and the writing are inseparable, one enhancing the other to amazing levels.
Reviews
“Elaborately composed cut-paper spreads give a 3D, puppet-show-like quality to a retelling of a Jewish legend. Rabbi Loew has a prophetic vision in 1580 when the Jews of Prague are accused of mixing the blood of Christian children into matzoh: he must create a Golem, "a giant of living clay, animated by Cabala, mystical teachings of unknown power." Brought to life with apocalyptic explosions of steam and rain, the Golem seeks out the perpetrators of the Blood Lie and turns them over to the authorities. Thwarted, the enraged enemies of the Jews storm the gates of the ghetto, but the Golem grows to enormous height and violently defeats them with their own battering ram. Once his work is done, he pitifully (and futilely) begs the Rabbi: "Please let me live! I did all that you asked of me! Life is so... precious... to me!" Wisniewski (The Wave of the Sea Wolf) emphasizes the Golem's humanity and the problems with his existence; instead of reducing the legend to a tale of a magical rescuer, the author allows for its historical and emotional complexity. The fiery, crisply layered paper illustrations, portraying with equal drama and precision the ornamental architecture of Prague and the unearthly career of the Golem, match the specificity and splendor of the storytelling. An endnote about the history and influence of the legend is particularly comprehensive. Ages 6-10. (Oct.)”
Devereaux, Elizabeth. (1996). Golem. Publishers Weekly, 243(43), 83.
“Wisniewski's retelling of the golem legend varies only slightly from the traditional version recounted by Beverly McDermott in The Golem (HarperCollins, 1975; o.p.). It is the tale of a clay giant formed in the image of man to protect the Jewish people of medieval Prague from destruction by their enemies. His master, the chief rabbi of Prague in the late 16th century, was a highly regarded Cabbalist (a mystic). In this telling, the golem speaks with the simplicity of a child (In many versions he is mute), and he is destroyed when the emperor guarantees the safety of the Jewish people. (Traditionally, the golem goes berserk and must be returned to the earth.) A lengthy note explains the idea of the Golem and details Jewish persecution throughout history. Wisniewski has used layers of cut paper to give depth to his illustrations, many of which have a three-dimensional appearance. A wispy layer, which begins as the vapor of creation, becomes smoke from torches carried by an angry mob of armed silhouette people and horses. The colors are browns and grays of the earth, sunrise mauve, and the pumpkin and burnt orange of fire and sunset. Skillful use of perspective enhances the Golem's immense size. While the plot is stronger than in Mark Podwal's retelling (Greenwillow, 1995), Wisniewski's text lacks the power and child appeal of McDermott's spare, well-crafted tale. Still, collections wanting another edition of the story might consider this one.”
Scheps, S., & Jones, T. (1996). Grades 3-6: Nonfiction. School Library Journal, 42(10), 142.
Library Use
I think this would be a good cross cultural mythology book. Most of the time the collections for cultural mythology focuses on African, Greek, and some Roman, but there is very little in the way of Jewish mythology.
The book could also be used to demonstrate different art styles. The illustrations are done using paper rather than pen and ink, so showing that there are different ways to be artistic could be interesting.
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